


Don't Want to be Scared Anymore

by ADyingFlower



Series: Noctis Appreciation Week [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Edited it because I posted it when I was overtired and the spelling mistakes oh boy, Epic Bromance, Gen, Hopeful Ending, I'M IN DENIAL OVER THE ENDING, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Time Travel Fix-It, Video Game Mechanics, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 16:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADyingFlower/pseuds/ADyingFlower
Summary: Prompt: To my younger selfNoctis and co. discover that Umbra's power's is much stronger than they ever anticipated. Maybe even enough to save Insomnia, and though they dare not voice it, perhaps Noctis himself.





	Don't Want to be Scared Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> It's late, that's all I can say

_To my younger self,_

  
Noctis paused deliberately, the pen mere hesitating centimeters away from the paper. Curled by his side, Prompto was scribbling furiously, already on his fifth page while Gladio was drafting the page as best he could for Ignis, having already finished his a half hour ago.

  
  
The only light available to them in the rattling caravan buffered by the howling wind - or was that daemons? - was the lamp precariously balanced on the table between him and Ignis, crumpled up slips of paper and rusty weapons laid between as a semblance of a barrier. Gladio’s knee bumped into him every time he anxiously crossed his legs, and after the fourth or fifth time of this Gladio had linked their ankles together and that was that.

  
  
He flipped the pen around in his hand, deliberately ignoring the far cry of the daemons roiling past the protective lights of Hammerhead. The others didn't even seem to notice it.

  
  
_To my younger self,_

  
_  
__I don't know when this letter will reach you. Ignis guessed when the majority of us were in high school, but it might be younger. I don't know if we can stop the occupation of Tenebrae, but if you plan on going on a trip to collect the fireflies, don't._

__  
  
Here's what's going to happen when I'm - your - thirty. When you're nine, Tenebrae will become occupied by Niflheim when you're there visiting after you got injured on the way back from the trip to collect the fireflies. If this is old news, ignore. If not, don't go on that trip. Get Cor to follow you everywhere if you have to leave the Citadel. It sucks, I know, but it's the only choice you got. 

__  
  
When you're twenty, dad is going to die when Niflheim invades Insomnia during a fake peace treaty. Don't let dad accept.

__  
  
When you're twenty-one, Luna is going to die and Ignis will go blind. I know this might seem confusing, but please, keep reading and I'll give you dates and exact details, for the changed future. 

__  
  
When you're thirty, you'll die. 

  
_  
_ _This timeline is doomed, it was doomed from the very start. But Luna left me her dog, Umbra, before she_ the pen dotted on the lined paper for several moments before he mustered up the strength to continue _he's kinda magical, but he still likes head pats, so make sure to give him lots of those. He'll deliver the letters as far as he can back in time, so we'll see if you recognize him or not._

  
_  
__Your timeline is the only chance we have to fix things, to fix this stupid prophecy, to save the so many people who lost their lives. So listen -_

  
  
Noctis stopped for a moment, having to take a moment to settle his shaking hands and wipe discreetly at his eyes, Ignis smooth voice murmuring in the background doing wonders to settle his fried nerves. Chancing a glance over at Prompto, who was currently resting his head against Noctis’ shoulder, crumpled up papers littered around him. The splotchy ink was staring back at him from the few places it was legible, barely catching himself reading them before he forcibly averted his eyes.

  
  
_they'll understand - you're loved - no matter what happens - weight doesn't matter -_

  
  
He looked away then, feeling as if he was encroaching on something precious and easily shattered, like a mirror breaking into thousands of shards under his fist, scattered across the universe in a shower of dust.

 

Noct continued writing.

  
  
_You're not useless, you're not a burden, I know it may not seem like it now, but sooner or later you're going to surround yourself with people who love you for as you are, not as the prince. And when that day comes,_ … _walk tall._ _  
_

  
The other pages, the instructions and detailed events that him and Ignis spent hours brainstorming the ‘night’ before that could have possibly led to the fall of Insomnia, putting them on the losing side of the war. Even stuff that the Noctis of then wouldn't have found out until decades later; failed essential missions foiled by the empire, locations of Niflheim spies in Lucis and vice versa, Lunafreya's locations throughout the years. Anything that might be useful for their past selves in preventing this 'bad ending'.

  
  
"We should get heading." Gladio rumbled quietly, two thick letters pressed in his free hand while the other clasped over his shoulder, a quiet ask of how he was doing. Instead of acknowledging the fact that the new hope Umbra provided after all those years in the crystal acknowledging his inevitable fate, even if every part of him outside of ‘Prince mode’ demanded he fight against it, he simply nodded and focused on the letters in his hand. Iris and a few others had already donated their letters once they heard of their plans as well, all of them wishing for a better future than the one they were doomed with in a dying world.

 

  
Noctis swallowed thickly, watching in his peripheral vision Prompto furiously finishing his letter, which appeared more like a short story than a warning that life would turn to shit. Maybe…..Maybe if nothing else can't be prevented, perhaps just the train. Something has to change, and maybe if the new future changes they can continue to fix things until the world eventually rights itself. He tried hard not to think about the consequences if that were to happen.

  
  
"Noct?" Ignis questioned softly, kneeling in front of him when his shoulder trembled ever so slightly under his grasp.

  
  
"Yeah." It was almost a whisper. Folding the letter up with misaligned edges, he slid it into the envelope and Ignis’ waiting hands. "Just...."

  
  
Calloused hands covered his own, so, _so_ gently. "I know."

  
  
For the first time, Noctis thought about what it truly meant to watch somebody you grew up with die. His throat tightened at the thought of Ignis or Gladio or Prompto dying and, in the end, - if anyone has to die - he's glad it's him. And if his fate isn't irreversible, even though he's probably around 120% sure that's what his friends letter compose of, then he'll just be happy that nobody else had to die in the process.

  
  
As if Ignis could hear his thoughts, his hands clenched minisculely around him own, enveloping him in warmth that made his wish feel like he was being reborn.

  
  
"We'll save you too." Ignis told him with such conviction he almost believe it. "I swear on my word as a member of the Scientia family, as your advisor, and.... And as your friend. We will save you as well."

  
  
Tears welled in his eyes, but Noctis refused to let them fall. Kings don't cry, at least not publicly. But, with his Prompto wrapping an arm around his shoulder and Gladio tousling his hair, he couldn’t help the few stray ones that leaked out.

  
  
"Okay." He whispered hoarsely, leaning over his and Ignis’ joined hands for a moment of privacy, pressing his forehead against them in a gesture he hoped Ignis recognized. "Okay."

 

~~When he was a child and often ill, he fussed whenever someone checked his temperature, so Ignis learned to let their foreheads just gently rest together for the briefest of moments, just the two of them in the silence.~~

 

~~By the sharp intake of breath, Ignis guessed as much.~~

  
  
When Noctis had finally gathered his composure, the three of them gathered around Umbra, carefully sliding the letters into the long tattered pouch around his neck. Noctis pressed his face to the furry neck, closing his eyes and praying to Etro, to Eos. To anyone who would listen besides those trice-damned astrals.

  
  
"Go," He murmured, lightly patting the dog on his neck before releasing him, watching him sprint off into the darkness, and hopefully through time itself.

  
  
"It's too late for this one." Gladio said, all of them knowing he was referring to the timeline itself. He held out a hand for Noctis to take, easily hoisting him back to his feet and gently bumping their knuckles together. "We won't know if this one will continue on or not, so we have to do what we can."

  
  
Noctis rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. Let's... Let's go." 

 

 

  
  
  
A young boy skipped through the Citadel's dark hallways, a giant bundle of flowers pulled from the castle garden that would no doubt send the ratty old gardener into a rage when he found an entire plot missing. But for now, it was him, the flowers, and Cor trailing behind him as his appointed bodyguard for the day, for 'punishment for mouthing off to a superior office _again dammit Cor -_ '.

  
  
Apparently, trailing after him all day wasn't a fun job. Noctis couldn't see why, he thought he was a _spectacular_ person.

  
  
His dad had smiled when he had pouted after being overheard being called that, but then had kindly remarked he skipped his piano lessons by crawling through the air vents during a 'bathroom break' and sent half the Citadel into a panic because everyone thought he had been kidnapped. 

  
....whatever.

  
  
"So then Iggy told me it was actually Nutella in the rec- reci- recipe! Nutella and not chocolate, so I went -" His voice warbled off when he heard a scuffling sound not unlike the stampede of chocobo and the faint smell of the plague of stars in front of him, the flowers slipping through his fingers as Cor darted in front of him with a savage protectiveness, hand already on the grip of his sword.

  
  
The air seemed to still as Noctis raised his hands to protect himself, eight years old and much too small to defend himself against anything worth notice. 

  
Then -

  
  
"A puppy!" Noctis cheered with a giant smile that threatened to split his face in half. Charging past Cor, he hurled himself at the strangely docile dog, ignoring Cor's protests as he ruffled through the sack around the dog's neck.

  
  
"There's a letter for me!" Noctis smiled to himself, clumsily reading the familiar letters. He had learned his letters two years ago with Ms. Lo-Lo (not her actual name, but it was a lot easier to pronounce than the real one), so it only took him a good moment before he fished out the next letter, the only two remaining in the cloth.

  
  
"Re - Regi - Reeg iss." Cor stiffened behind him, already striding forward to take the letters out of his hands, but Noctis was faster, tearing apart his own envelope and scanning his eyes over the letter, the letter to his father protectively curled under his arm.

  
  
"Cor, the letter is scaring me." He admitted after a moment, handing it over to the soldier who was all too happy to pluck it out of his hands and read it for himself, wondering vaguely what would make the Prince so pale when he had read about the ancient Solheim revolution in class without blinking an eyelash, and that particular revolution even made Cor queasy. .

  
  
He paled. Astrals, what kind of prank was this, was it some kind of warning from the empire for an assassination plot?

  
  
But then how would they know about the trip King Regis had been planning in secret to take Noctis to see the fireflies beyond the wall?

 

  
_When you're thirty, you'll die._

  
  
The words rang hollow in Cor's ears as he gently tucked the letter back into the envelope, realizing with slow dawning horror that this might actually be a letter from the future.

  
  
He took a deep breath, rereading over the lines and into the further pages, which were filled with highly classified information that even Cor barely knew about.

  
  
Both Cor and Noctis traded unsure looks, the young boy wrapping himself around the dog by his side. It was terrifying to imagine that the same boy who's cradle he guarded would one die day when he turned thirty. Astrals....

  
  
"We have to deliver this to the King." Cor decided, leaning down for Noctis to scurry up his chest and seated on one his arms, providing rare comfort he was loathed to offer to the still painfully young Prince.

  
  
If there was one thing Cor was sure of, it was that Regis loved his son more than anything in the world, and would raise hell if anything threatened him. And this was a very real threat.   


 

 

  
  
A young boy with glasses and a manner far removed from any of his classmates eyes widened as he read over his letter, rereading the same line over and over again.

  
  
The shield in training with a temper to match the heavy weight of burden clenched his not yet calloused hands along the edges of the paper, anger and helplessness fuming in his gut while his little sister narrowed her eyes and tried her best to read even a couple of words.

  
  
In the outskirts of Insomnia, a child with a barcode tried his best to make sense of the bundle of pages delivered by a magic dog like out of fairy tales, but what drew his attention most was that the assurance that he too would one day be loved.

  
  
The girl with grease streaked across her forehead and recently orphaned to live with her Grandfather felt tears wet her eyes as she read what at first sounded like fiction, a story of prince and magic, but soon realized was very much reality.

  
  
An Oracle and first of her name, the girl touched by light, closed her eyes in prayer, hearing the prophesied become reality and wanting to change it all the same.

  
  
A King seated alone on a deadly throne knew of his child's fate and mourned all the same for both his beloved kingdom and his sons words of love from the future, and wondered, perhaps for the first time rather seriously, that it would be possible to fight against the gods and _win._

  
  
The same line repeated through each letter, various different handwriting and tear marks smudging the paper.

  
  
_Prevent this bad future._


End file.
